University of Hawai`i at Manoa (John A. Burns School of Medicine)

JABSOM's mission is to teach and train high quality physicians, biomedical students, and allied health professionals for Hawai'i and the Pacific, and to conduct both clinical and basic research in areas of specific interest to our community and region. JABSOM is the most culturally and ethnically diverse medical school in the country and its student body mirrors the rich diversity of the state's population.

Our innovative problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum has generated such interest that it has contributed to a three-fold increase in applications since its inception 15 years ago. Of the 125 medical schools in the country, JABSOM is currently one of only a handful of schools in the nation, including Harvard, to convert its curriculum totally to a problem-based learning format

The School's basic mission is to teach and train high-quality physicians, biomedical scientists, and allied health workers for Hawai‘i and the Pacific. Its major purpose is to provide an opportunity for a medical education previously unavailable to residents of Hawai‘i and other Pacific nations.

Some unique features of the School's M.D. program include its Problem-Based Learning curriculum (PBL; see Medical Education), and community-based medicine program. In addition, clinical instruction is accomplished in affiliated community hospitals and clinics. The benefits of this approach are several: it is more economical; students from the start are thrust into the real world of day-to-day clinical activity; and working directly within the community involves extensive participation of community physicians and other health professionals in the training of future physicians.

In addition to the M.D. program, graduate training programs are available leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the basic medical sciences and health related fields, as well as training in two undergraduate programs in Medical Technology and Speech Pathology and Audiology. The School also provides graduate medical education (GME; see Residency Programs) in community hospitals which are accredited as University of Hawai‘i Medical School residency programs.

Our mid-Pacific location, ties the Pacific island nations and Southeast Asia, and the State's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural population all combine to give the School its distinctive flavor and opportunities. JABSOM is the most culturally and ethnically diverse medical school in the country, and its student body mirrors the rich diversity of the State's population. The School has always and will continue to play a historical role in expanding opportunities for women, minorities, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and the socio-economically disadvantaged. Programs such as Imi Ho‘ola ("Those who seek to heal", see Programs-Imi Ho‘ola ) and the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence have dramatically increased the number of under-represented minorities and disadvantaged physicians in the community.

Advanced medical and biomedical research constitutes another core component of the school's mission and began as an outgrowth of the University's Pacific Biosciences Research Center. It has received international recognition for pioneering work in human fertility, human heredity, comparative genetics, evolution theory, infectious disease, pharmacology, and cross cultural Psychiatry, among other fields. Its work on the better understanding of Hansen's Disease is part of Hawai‘i's legacy to the world. More recently, it has made contributions in AIDS, in Kawasaki's Disease, and the epidemiology of heart disease. It is also affiliated with the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Research Center. In 1998, JABSOM researcher Dr. Ryuzo Yanagimachi and his team of scientists made history with the announcement of the Honolulu Technique for cloning mice. The School's primary investigative focus over the decades has been in those areas for which it is ideally qualified by geography and population.

As we begin the next millennium, JABSOM embarks on one of the most ambitious goals ever attempted by one school: to help bring modern medicine into the 21st century and beyond. This required the formation of a broad multi-front, multi-disciplinary partnership that seeks new approaches and perspectives. It means the restructuring - and even replacement - of statist views and methodologies. It requires new curricula geared more toward meaningful clinical experiences and community involvement. It means conducting research to address community health needs. It involves integrating education, research and service to enhance the health of the people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Basin.

In short, a new medicine to correct the growing deficiencies of the health care sector and to meet the challenge of the medical schools of the future.

The challenge is being met today at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

John A. Burns School of Medicine Medical School Location

John A. Burns School of Medicine Courses

FIRST YEAR COURSES :

* Unit 1 Health & Illness : Introductory series of problem-oriented small group tutorials for medical students stressing concepts of health and disease, supplemented by colloquia and resource sessions intended to broaden the perspectives of the Unit 1 healthcare problems.

* Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Renal Problems : Advanced series of problem-oriented small group tutorials for medical students focusing on cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal topics, supplemented by conferences, colloquia, labs, and resource sessions intended to broaden the perspectives of the Unit II health-care problems.

* Hematology, Gastroenterology & Endocrinology Problems : Advanced series of problem-oriented small group tutorials for medical students focusing on gastroenterology, endocrinology, and hematology topics, supplemented by conferences, colloquia, labs, and resource sessions intended to broaden the perspectives of the Unit III health-care problems.

* Primary Care Preceptorship : Students will work with a primary care physician and develop an understanding of primary care practice as well as gain experience in clinical skills.

SECOND YEAR COURSES :

* Student Research Project : Students will identify a research project and conduct an in-depth study that will form the focus of a formal paper and a poster presentation. Course work will be integrated into Units 1 through 4.

* Locomotor System, Nervous System & BehavioralProblems : Advanced series of problem-oriented small group tutorials for medical students focusing on locomotor system, nervous system, and behavioral topics, supplemented by conferences, colloquia, labs, and resource sessions intended to broaden the perspectives of the Unit IV health-care problems.

* The Life Cycle : Advanced series of problem-oriented small group tutorials for medical students focusing on topics across the life cycle, supplemented by conferences and colloquia intended to broaden the perspectives of the Unit V health-care problems.

* Evidence-Based Medicine : The critical appraisal track is designed to improve the student's ability to seek and evaluate new medical knowledge.

THIRD YEAR COURSES :

* Family Practice Clerkship : Ambulatory-based clerkship in family practice to be taken on O‘ahu or one of the Neighbor Islands. Students will learn history taking, physical exam skills, and management of family practice patients of all ages. Emphasis on behavioral care, preventative care, and common ambulatory problems, both acute and chronic.

* Pediatric Clerkship : Year-long clerkship in ambulatory setting, covering evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood diseases. Emphasis on primary prevention, normal growth and development of the neonate to adolescent, and arrangement of pediatric care, including outpatient, inpatient, and emergency room experiences.

* Psychiatry Clerkship : Year-long clerkship in ambulatory setting, including knowledge, skills, attitudes for assessment, diagnosis, and management of psychiatric problems in medical practice, inpatient, and emergency room settings. Emphasis on development and application of psychosocial cultural formulations in all areas of psychiatric and medical practice.

* Geriatric & Palliative Medicine : This four-week rotation provides medical students with an overview of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine in outpatient, inpatient, home care and nursing home settings. Students will receive one half-day per week of Geriatric Medicine didactic seminars and one half-day per week of Palliative Medicine didactic sessions. The clinical placements will be provided at several teaching sites including Kuakini Medical Center, Queen’s Medical Center, the VA, several nursing homes on Oahu, Kaiser Permanente, Hospice Hawai‘i, and the Pain & Symptom Management Program at Queen’s Medical Center.